''Men in Exile'' is a 1937 film directed by

John Farrow John Villiers Farrow, KGCHS (10 February 190427 January 1963) was an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Spending a considerable amount of his career in the United States, in 1942 he was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

. A "B" movie from Warner Bros, it was the first feature Farrow directed. It is essentially a remake of their 1931 melodrama ''

Safe in Hell ''Safe in Hell'' is a 1931 American pre-Code thriller film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Dorothy Mackaill and Donald Cook, with featured performances by Morgan Wallace, Ralf Harolde, Nina Mae McKinney, Clarence Muse, and Noble Jo ...

'', albeit with the lead switched from female to male, with some plot changes as a result.

Plot

After becoming the target of a manhunt for a murder he did not commit, cab driver Jimmy Carmody flees to a tropical island that serves as a haven for criminals on the run. Soon after he arrives, he becomes involved with gun smugglers trying to overthrow the local dictator, as well as falling for the lovely daughter of the owner of the hotel he's staying at.

Cast

Dick Purcell Richard Gerold Purcell Jr. (August 6, 1905 – April 10, 1944) was an American actor best known for playing Marvel Comics' Captain America in the 1943 film serial, co-starring with Lorna Gray and Lionel Atwill. Purcell also appeared in fil ...

as Jimmy Carmody *

June Travis June Travis (born June Dorothea Grabiner; August 7, 1914 – April 14, 2008) was an American film actress. Background Born June Dorothea Grabiner, she was the daughter of Harry Grabiner, vice-president of the Chicago White Sox in the 1930s. ...

as Sally Haines *

Victor Varconi Victor Varconi (born Mihály Várkonyi; March 31, 1891 – June 6, 1976) was a Hungarian actor who initially found success in his native country, as well as in Germany and Austria, in silent films, before relocating to the United States, where ...

as Colonel Gomez *

Olin Howland Olin Ross Howland (February 10, 1886 – September 20, 1959) was an American film and theatre actor. Life and career Howland was born in Denver, Colorado, to Joby A. Howland, one of the youngest enlisted participants in the Civil War, an ...

as H. Mortimer Jones *

Margaret Irving Margaret Irving (January 18, 1898 – March 5, 1988) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1898, Irving is best remembered today for her roles as Aunt Gus in the 1950s sitcom '' The People's Choic ...

as Mother Haines *

Norman Willis Norman David Willis (21 January 1933 – 7 June 2014) was the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in the United Kingdom from 1984 to 1993, and President of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) from 1991 to 1993. Li ...

as Rocky Crane *

Veda Ann Borg Veda Ann Borg (January 11, 1915 – August 16, 1973) was an American film and television actress. Early years Born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Gottfried Borg, a Swedish immigrant, and Minna Noble, Borg became a model in 1936 before winni ...

as Rita * Alan Baxter as Danny Haines * Carlos DeValdez as General Alcatraz * Alec Harford as Limey * John Alexander as Witherspoon * Demetris Emanuel as Aide to Gomez

Production

In August 1936 Warners announced they would make ''Men in Exile'' the next month. They said it was a remake of ''

'' (1931) and would star

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

and

Margaret Lindsay Margaret Lindsay (born Margaret Kies; September 19, 1910 – May 9, 1981) was an American film actress. Her time as a Warner Bros. contract player during the 1930s was particularly productive. She was noted for her supporting work in successf ...

. In October Dick Purcell and June Travis were announced as stars and John Farrow was to direct.

Reception

"The direction is good and the chases are thrilling", said the ''Monthly Film Bulletin''. "Farrow has endeavoured to dignify familiar material with a touch of

Maugham Maugham is a surname most commonly associated with the English literary family. The name is a variant of Malham, Malgham, and Malghum. Families with the name originate from the area surrounding Malham and Kirkby Malham. Well-known persons with this ...

but the result is not outstanding" said the ''Los Angeles Times''. Purcell and Travis were meant to be reunited in ''The Mystery of Hunting's End'' (which became ''

Mystery House ''Mystery House'' is an adventure game released by On-Line Systems in 1980. It was designed, written and illustrated by Roberta Williams, and programmed by Ken Williams for the Apple II. ''Mystery House'' is the first graphical adventure ga ...

'' with Purcell and Ann Sheridan.)

References

External links

''Men in Exile''
at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

''Men in Exile''
at BFI * * * 1937 films 1937 crime drama films American crime drama films American black-and-white films 1937 directorial debut films Films directed by John Farrow 1930s American films 1930s English-language films {{1930s-crime-drama-film-stub